Looking ahead at what's past

Posted on Sat Jan 25th, 2025 @ 11:07pm by Commodore Finchley Kerr & Lieutenant Commander Isabelle Savette

1,460 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: The 'Eagle continues.
Location: Chief Counsellors office, USS Blackeagle
Timeline: Current.

Finchley had come to the conclusion it was time to go and speak to Isabelle. He'd been unable to sleep since returning from the last mission and his cognitive responses were down, he knew it within himself.

Making his way to her office, he pressed the chime by the door and awaited a response.

Isabelle had sensed Finchley outside her door, she had to admit she was curious as to why he’d come to see her and looking towards it she called him to enter. “Come on in Captain!”

The doors opened allowing Finchley to enter. He walked in and stood beside a couch by the wall. "Thank you for allowing me to come in Counsellor, I wanted to discuss a private matter with you. Ever since we've returned from the last mission, I've found that I just can't sleep. I go to bed tired, but I just can't seem to get to sleep, I toss and turn then eventually get up again and sit there in the dark. I feel my cognitive responses are slower and my decision processes are cloudy."

Isabelle motioned for Finchley to take a seat. “That doesn’t surprise me Captain, we need sleep especially R.E.M. sleep it’s a part of what keeps us sane. Is there something that happened during the last mission that is playing on your mind?”

"Yes" Finchley replied, "having to see President Hallmyre again. I served under him when he was CO of the USS Banford, it was one of my first postings as an SFI officer. He was a slippery bastard then and he made my life a misery because I wasn't one of 'his' men. Seeing him again as part of the Romulan/Federation set up was, well, harrowing to say the least."

Isabelle nodded. “That’s understandable, and probably something you’ve avoided thinking about for a long time. It’s dragged up all of those memories, forcing you to face what you’ve buried up until now.”

"How do I stop it?" Finchley asked, "I mean, I can't go without sleep for long, nobody can."

“You can’t just stop it” Isabelle offered a polite and disarming smile. “I’m afraid you’re going to have to face your demons Captain, to face whatever it is that’s buried that needs to be unburied. We can work through it together. In the meantime I can prescribe you some sleep aids to help with your sleep.”

"I don't really like taking sleep medication, it's false sense of security and if I'm honest, I don't feel rested even if I do take them" Finchley replied.

"As for facing those demons, I don't actually know what it is I'm looking for to face" he carried on. "I mean, sure, he was a bully, he didn't respect me much because I was brought in on his ship and not chosen 'by' him, but how do you separate those feelings from what happened during the last mission?"

“That’s a very good question” Isabelle paused. “Was there something specific that happened during the last mission that rattled you in a... deep down sense? An event? A person?”

"Hallmyre himself" Finchley replied, "On the Banford, he accused me of betraying the crew when I refused to take 'spoils' from any mission we did. They'd plunder valuables, take weapons, drink, hell there was once a hostage that they kept for days after we rescued them. So to see him involved in a plot to kill the Romulan Preator, the very person whom he'd pledged help to, well, it told me he'd not changed one bit."

Isabelle nodded as she listened. “He sounds like a law unto himself. I’m guessing that he’s got his backside covered against any who’d try to betray him? Otherwise I’d be suggesting reporting his indiscretions to Starfleet.”

"It's kind of a mute point now" Finchley replied, sighing heavily. He stood up and walk a little distance from his chair, looking at a painting on the wall, "He's under arrest after the Romulus incident, but I can't shake the feeling that he won't get what he deserves. He's a planner Counsellor, he looks at situations from every angle, calculates every possibility and every outcome and puts things in place accordingly. He has back up plan after back up plan and I have no doubt he's considered and planned for the outcome of him failing in killing the Preator and being arrested in the process. It's what he's got planned 'after' that that worries me."

Isabelle nodded. “You think he’ll be looking for trouble if, or when, he gets free? You most likely know him better than anyone, which most likely makes you the best person to figure out what he’ll do, and how he’ll do it.”

"If I'm perfectly honest Counsellor, he'll come for us, all of us" Finchley replied, "he doesn't forgive or forget. Of course, there is a solution" he added, looking round at Isabelle, "and I think you can guess what it is."

Isabelle nodded. “I don’t think you want that to go on record Commodore. Though not everything has to go into my logs.” She gave him a wry smile. “Any actions would need to be justified, you know that as well as I do.”

"I didn't actually say what the solution was Counsellor" Finchley replied, "I'm also reminding you this is a private matter, I said that right from the start of me entering this room, this isn't an official counselling session so anything said here is private, I hope you realise that. If you're unable to distinguish between this and an actual session, I'll just go and take my lack of sleeping problem with me."

“Did I say it was an official counselling session Sir?” Isabelle offered a wry smile. “I won’t be sending anything said here to Starfleet, that I promise you. I was simply... reminding you that any action you may take will need to be very covert, or faultlessly explainable.”

"Do you recall a year back when our Starfleet Intelligence Council ordered a review into the Wellman scandal, you know, the leaking of classified documents to the Ferengi government?" Finchley asked.

Isabelle paused. “I think I do...Yes, I remember. Are you saying Hallmyre had something to do with it?”

"No, that was me" Finchley replied, "the Council knew something was amiss, information was leaking from private sessions that the Council had, and they tasked me with finding out who was doing it. There was also doubt being cast over Councillor Wellman as to whether or not he had the Federations interest at heart or if he was in it for the money so to speak. I found out that Wellman was taking backhanders for certain groups receiving special contracts so I decided to kill two birds with one stone. The Council leak actually came from Councillor Chen, so I 'removed' him from his seat on the Council and planted evidence leading to Councillor Wellman being the leak. I then leaked that evidence to Federation Security and Councillor Wellman was arrested and sentenced to life on a penal planet. No-one but the SFI Council knows about this...except you and I trust you to keep it to yourself. So yes, I can make things look faultlessly explainable."

Isabelle smiled a wry smile. “Remind me never to make an enemy out of you Sir. Your secret is safe with me, don’t worry about that. Whatever happens you can count on my loyalty.”

"Thank you Councillor, I'm very happy to hear that" Finchley replied, "it still doesn't get me any closer to the lack of sleep problem though."

“True” Isabelle nodded and smiled. “Your lack of sleep is linked to your concerns about the safety of not just yourself, but your ship and crew. Perhaps putting your mind at rest would help with your sleep, you know you’re crew Captain you’re safe here. Otherwise a phaser under your pillow might help.” She offered a wry smile.

"It's lovely that you think I don't already" Finchley wanly smiled back, "but yes, you're right, I am concerned about the safety of the crew and the ship...and I won't lie, about myself. Ordinarily, my own safety is the last thing on my mind, I concentrate on you, all of you" he went on, gesticulating in a wide sweeping hand/arm motion to articulate his meaning. "Perhaps this chat has helped me, the only way I'll find out is when I try and get some rest. Thank you Counsellor, I shan't take up anymore of your time" he finished, nodding and exiting Isabelle's office.

 

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